Big Three are locked in and starting to shine…
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After a slow start to the year, the Cleveland Cavaliers are beginning to show just how dangerous they will be as the season continues to progress.
The Cavs made an underwhelming 5-7 start to the season and many questioned how or even if the new Big Three would work. While they showed signs offensively that they could be devastating, the defensive frailties of the team were exposed and admittedly the lack of rim protection is still an area of weakness.
With LeBron James seemingly criticising the team every other day labelling them as “fragile” and admitting that that he expected a long process, his inability to let coach David Blatt gain control in team-talks was hurting them looking from the outside in.
However, having played a key role in Thursday night’s win over the Toronto Raptors which extended Cleveland’s winning streak to eight games, James and his support cast are undoubtedly finding their feet.
Blatt got solid production from sixth man Dion Waiters off the bench while Kyrie Irving is showing more to his game than just shooting after dishing out 10 assists for the first time this season against the Raptors.
Kevin Love is continuing to put up good numbers and with the fans on board it appears as though the Cavs are on track to deliver on their potential as the season goes on.
After drilling a key three-pointer against Toronto in the last minute of the fourth to give the Cavs a three-point lead, James turned to the crowd and yelled: “That’s what I came here for”. Big moments from a big time player.
While it is worth remembering that things can change very quickly in the NBA and there is likely to be more inconsistency along the way, Cleveland are sending a clear message to the rest of the league that they are starting to click into place.
Although their eight-game winning streak has not included any games against the West, they have now beaten Toronto twice as well as the Washington Wizards along with the impressive Milwaukee Bucks.
As expected, they are amongst the best teams offensively in the East and on the whole they aren’t faring too badly in terms of defense compared to their direct rivals as the likes of Irving show improvement.
Toronto, Washington and the Atlanta Hawks have started the season well and they currently occupy the top three spots in the East after losing just six games each.
However, perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the race in the Eastern Conference has been the struggles the Chicago Bulls have had to deal with thus far. While many expected Tom Thibodeau’s team to be leading the field from the outset, they are 12-8 with a 2-5 record at home and have many questions yet to be answered.
Meanwhile, the Cavs have started answering their own questions and responding to the doubts surrounding them, and it not only remains to be seen if they can maintain their current level but also if the rest of the pack can keep up as the regular season heads for the Christmas and New Year period.
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